A2Council Meeting Summaries

Month: October 2020

Ann Arbor City Council: October 19, 2020

This was the fourteenth regular Ann Arbor City Council meeting since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency and stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting was held online via the Zoom application.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: A contract for routine street tree pruning for $674,020 is part of the Urban and Community Forest Management Plan (UCFMP). It will be funded through the FY21 Stormwater Fund Operations and Maintenance Budget. (Legistar)

APPROVED: PUD zoning district for Veridian County Farm at 2270 Platt Road (Legistar), along with site plans and development agreements for Verdian County Farm South (Legistar), and Veridian County Farm North (Legistar)

APPROVED: Rose White park in lower Burns Park will be renamed Graydon Park in honor of former Ann Arbor City Council Member Graydon Krapohl. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Downtown Street closures for the benefit of restaurant and retail use was extended through November 29, 2020. This is the third extension of these street closures. (Legistar)

DEFEATED: A revision of the City’s water rates would eliminate the fourth tier for residential and create seasonal non-residential rates. (An amendment to remove seasonal non-residential rates from the resolution failed to pass.) (Legistar)

APPROVED: An employment agreement to hire Tom Crawford as City Administrator. (Legistar)

APPROVED: In order to facilitate organization of the Council of the Commons (approved by City Council 10/5/20), Council Members Jeff Hayner and Ali Ramlawi are appointed as liaisons. An application process will be opened and appointments made by December 22, 2020. (Legistar)

Two resolutions relating to the Gelman Plume were defeated:

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 2
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 19, 2020 Part 3

Ann Arbor City Council: October 5, 2020

This was the thirteenth regular Ann Arbor City Council meeting since Governor Whitmer declared a state of emergency and stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meeting was held online via the Zoom application.

Ann Arbor City Council Meeting Summary

APPROVED: Traffic reconfigurations (“Healthy Streets Initiative”) at three locations – South Main, Broadway/Swift, and Packard – will end early, ahead of the planned end date of November 29th. Lane closures will end October 15th. (Legistar)

APPROVED: Revised Solid Waste Resources Management Plan. This plan was on the Jan 6, 2020 agenda and tabled for review by staff. The plan includes year-round compost pickup, curbside textile collection, limited bulky item collection (on a monthly schedule or at request and for a fee), and possible consolidation of waste, recycling, and compost collection services. (Legistar)

APPROVED: $8,022.25 and $106,859 contracts with the Ecology Center for Recycling Plant Tours of the Material Recovery Facilities Education Center and School Recycling Education programs on recycling, composting, zero waste, stormwater and waste reduction for Ann Arbor and Dexter (2nd Grade stormwater only) schools. (Legistar)

APPROVED: A legal memo that was shared internally as “privileged and confidential” will be made public. It answers the questions: Does City Council have the ability to dissolve the Downtown Development Authority (DDA)? What is the procedure for dissolving the DDA? What are the effects of dissolving the DDA? (Legistar)

APPROVED: “Community Commons Initiating Committee” is recognized as a Community Partner in the process of developing the Center of the City Community Commons (approved by ballot initiative in 2018). (Legistar)

  • For the purpose of writing bylaws, membership of the “Council Commons” will include City Administrator (a non-voting member) and voting members comprised of two City Council members appointed and approved by City Council, a citizen member of the City Planning Commission nominated by Planning Commission and affirmed by City Council, a citizen member of the Parks Advisory Commission nominated by PAC and affirmed by City Council, two members of the Community Commons Initiating Committee, two members of the Library Green Conservancy, and 3 citizens-at-large to be nominated by the City Council representatives Commons Council members, and affirmed by City Council. The Initiating Committee will work to implement repurposing of the Library Lane lot location as called for in the approved Task Force recommendations.
  • https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2020/10/ann-arbor-accelerates-plans-for-downtown-central-park-as-some-argue-its-designed-to-fail.html

A2ELNEL Voting Chart

Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 5, 2020 Part 1
Ann Arbor City Council Voting Chart for October 5, 2020 Part 2

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My name is Elizabeth Nelson, and I believe that your local government should be accessible and transparent. Since 2018 , I have sent out a newsletter before every Council meeting with my summary of agenda items coming before City Council, plus news and events of interest to Ann Arbor residents.

After each Council meeting, I create and post voting charts so that you can easily see how Council voted, and update this website with meeting summaries that include links to the City’s Legistar website, CTN’s YouTube video, and articles published on MLive.